“No matter your race, your religion, your outfit, your size, your height, everyone should have the ability to feel safe while doing the things they love,” self-defense expert Jennifer Cassetta tells Oxygen.com. “This is not to just put the onus on women or to blame victims, but we can take personal responsibility as much as we can. Unfortunately, we have to think about these things. I absolutely encourage women to keep doing the things that they love. Do not stop running outdoors and do not let your fear take you out of the game.”

Cassetta, who is the founder of the Stilletos & Self Defense, has a third-degree black belt in Hapkido. But for those who don't feel like going through intense combat training but still want to jog alone or plan a worry-free night out with friends, serenity is just a click away.

"Safety apps are a great addition to your personal safety plan," Cassetta says, adding that combining the apps with some minimal self-defense training can increase one's chances of survival. "They can help you stay more aware and let others know where to find you."

Here are a few free smartphone apps that can help assist people in unexpectedly shady situations unexpectedly, or just offer a greater sense of safety.

With this app, a person can pick six of their top-tier friends or family members for their circle. Just two taps is all it takes for an automated message to appear with the location of a person who does not feel safe.

This app also features a danger button, which directs the user to sexual and domestic abuse hotlines.

This app has the ability to send text messages, push notifications, emails and voice calls to emergency contacts with a single touch. The app can also be setup to call 911, emergency responders or any contacts stored on the user’s device, and track one’s location in real-time via GPS monitoring.

This app allows users to set up a network of “guardians” who can track their way home with GPS. It also features an emergency alarm that sends a text of an exact location to these guardians, as well as the ability to access a phone’s audio and video recording software to document dangerous situations.

Like the above app, this one sends alerts to select emergency contacts with only a shake of the phone.

[Photo Credit: Getty]

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